


Patient Care

by PalestAzure



Series: Ramsey and Hunt [1]
Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels), Red Carpet Diaries (Visual Novel)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-22
Updated: 2020-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:41:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22355041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PalestAzure/pseuds/PalestAzure
Summary: An illness changes Ethan’s entire plans with Thomas, but it could be for the better.
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Thomas Hunt
Series: Ramsey and Hunt [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1609207
Kudos: 2





	Patient Care

**Author's Note:**

> This will be part of my Ramsey and Hunt series, where they are a couple. I’ll be writing little one shots for them because I love them so much! The series is based on the backstory created by myself and hopelessromantic1352. Also, they're referred to as friends in this story because their relationship is new and they haven't given themselves any labels yet.

His shift at the hospital ended early. But ever since his old friend came to town, he had found himself taking advantage of these unexpected but brief moments of free time. He knew that stack of papers on his desk could be taken care of before his rounds with the interns the next morning. He also knew he had to trust the other professionals to look after his patients on his time off. His perspective on his work and his life had slightly shifted now that his old college friend was there. They let too many years pass between them; he wasn’t about to repeat the past, but determined to hold onto the one person he felt he had lost all those years ago. 

When he arrived at his friend’s apartment complex, he dusted off the snow from his jacket and scarf before stepping through the entrance. He ran his hand through his hair, as he waited for the elevator to take him up to the seventh floor. His other hand clutched a small, white paper bag that contained his friend’s favorite comfort food: cinnamon rolls. He also wanted to check out the new café a couple of blocks down, hoping Thomas would be in the mood for a hot or cold sandwich for dinner. 

As he walked down the hall to the apartment, he adjusted the collar of his shirt, like a nervous teenager on a first date. He cleared his throat before his knuckles gently met with the door, his mouth becoming dry as he waited for it to open. But it never did. He reached out and knocked again, this time a bit more forcefully. Again. Nothing. Per usual, his mind immediately went to the more bleak reasons. His brow wrinkled at the various scenarios in his mind. But perhaps he actually wasn’t home, and the surprise he wanted to give him was now meaningless. He took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself and then pulled out his phone from his back pocket. As he began to scroll through his favorites in his list of contacts, he heard a turn of the lock and the door slowly opened. 

A hoarse but faint voice met him. “Ethan?”

Ethan’s eyes instantly shined, as they locked on the man behind the door. “Evening, Thomas, I…” But the sight of Thomas cut him off. He was loosely wearing a dark blue robe that met below his knees, exposing only his firm, muscular calves. His usual slick and well-kempt hair was now disheveled with thick strands sticking along his perspired forehead, while thinner ones stuck out from all sides. The only color to his face were the dark circles under his eyes, as his normally tanned complexion was erased by one similar to the color of the snow outside. Thomas looked back at Ethan with eyes tinted in a reddish hue. 

Without a word, Thomas walked away, leaving the door open. Ethan entered the apartment, and slowly closed and locked the door behind him. He observed Thomas who was making his way ever so slowly towards the kitchen. His legs appeared to be not enough to support his body as he moved. His arms hung limply along his sides with no hint of tension. His impeccable posture was no longer, as he now had a slight slouch to his walk. 

“You don’t look well, old friend.” Ethan started. 

Thomas rolled his eyes while reaching for a glass in the cabinet. 

“It’s nothing to concern yourself with.” His voice sounded congested as he spoke, deepening even more his already deep tone.  
  
“Professionally, it appears you may have the flu.”

“ _Personally_ , it appears I’m trying to adjust to this Boston weather.”

Thomas tried his best to grasp the glass, but once he reached the sink, he leaned forward onto the counter with his forearms, his head dropping. He coughed a few times, as the sound of the fluid and mucus in his chest were clearly distinct. Ethan placed the bag of cinnamon rolls on the counter and approached Thomas from the side, placing his arm around his torso for support. With his free hand he took the glass--which easily slipped from Thomas’ weak grip--and set it next to the sink. 

“You shouldn’t be up.” Thomas groaned amid a cough and tried to push Ethan away with his elbow. “Is that all you got?” Ethan chuckled softly at Thomas’ poor attempts. 

“This all must be quite amusing for you.” Ethan gently lifted Thomas from his slouched position against the sink, his feeble body now leaning into Ethan’s embrace.  
  
“I’m actually concerned,” he responded without his prior amused tone. He could feel Thomas’ body tense in resistance, but his head eventually slumped against Ethan’s broad chest. “Let’s get you to bed.” Ethan began slowly walking with Thomas, whose entire body slightly trembled and felt like glass in his arms. His skin was also hot against Ethan’s own. 

As they walked past the counter with the cinnamon rolls, the heavy aroma filtered through the pores of the bag, and the smell of the combination of caramelized brown sugar and warm cinnamon had the opposite intended effect. Thomas immediately felt his stomach churn and his esophagus contract, and he began heaving. 

“Ok, hold on there.” Ethan rushed Thomas to the bathroom, whose feet slightly lifted off the floor from Ethan’s strong grip on him. Once they made it to the bathroom, Thomas hovered over the toilet and emptied only the natural fluids in his stomach. Ethan kneeled beside his friend, while rubbing his back. “So much for bringing you a treat.” Thomas paid no mind as he continued to vomit. Ethan stayed beside him until he finished, his hand now moving up to the nape of Thomas’ neck as he massaged it gently.

Ethan assisted Thomas to his bed, pulling the covers up over his shivering body. He caressed away the lingering strands of hair on his forehead before placing a cold, damp towel across it. Thomas looked up at Ethan through half-opened eyelids.

“This reminds me of the time when you got food poisoning in, when was it?” Ethan began to reminisce.   
  
“Second year of college.” Thomas replied through a loud cough.   
  
“Right.” Ethan smirked a bit and sat on the edge of the bed next to his old friend. “You missed classes for two weeks. You lost so much weight. You resembled Christian Bale in _The Machinist_. I was so afraid to touch you.” He shook his head at the memory, while his smirk lingered.

“That might be an exaggeration. More Tom Hanks in _Castaway_.”

“Two movies we also saw while you were sick.” Ethan observed a little color appear on Thomas’ cheeks. 

“You remained a constant irritant at my side, never allowing me to engage in any film without your unrelenting questions and check-ins.”  
  
“Well, it was an excuse to practice being a doctor.”  
  
“It was your second year as a _biology_ major.” Thomas scoffed, but with a faint smile hinted on his lips.

“As a _now_ practicing doctor, I advise getting some electrolytes in you.” Ethan began to look around. “Where are your keys? I’ll go to the store on the corner to get you some Gatorade and other things your doctor recommends.”

“Table near the front door.” Thomas’s fingers edged a bit closer towards Ethan’s hand. Ethan noticed, but remained still.

“You want to ask me a question?" Thomas only coughed. “It’s okay, Thomas. It’s just three little words.” Thomas clenched his jaw as his gaze focused elsewhere, away from Ethan. 

“Can. You. Stay.” Ethan began to teasingly urge him, as he emphasized each word individually. 

Thomas closed his eyes and frowned, mumbling the question under his breath. Ethan leaned in closer.  
  
“What was that, Hunt?” Ethan visibly saw Thomas’ eyes roll against his closed eyelids before he opened them. 

“Can you stay?” Thomas asked with a not-so-subtle hint of annoyance in his tone. 

Ethan leaned in closer, his lips now resting along the curve of Thomas’ ear. “That wasn’t too difficult for Thomas Hunt, now was it?” He tenderly whispered. 

Thomas turned his head away from Ethan’s direction. His face now overheating, and not from the fever. “Hypocrite.”

Ethan chuckled and then offered a bemused smile. “I know. I’m not any better.” Ethan patted his dear friend’s hand before leaving.

When he returned from his store run, he brought a bottle of Gatorade back to the bedroom, but noticed Thomas had fallen asleep. He placed it on the nightstand for later and then began to remove his jacket, scarf, and shoes before adjusting some of the pillows near Thomas and laying next to him. He looked over at the nightstand and picked up a book Thomas had kept there. It was a memoir: _A Moveable Feast_ by Ernest Hemingway.  
  
Ethan quietly sat up in bed as he reclined against the pillows. He felt Thomas stir and turn over on his side towards Ethan. He changed his focus from the book to Thomas, and saw that he was still fast asleep. He lifted his arm as it comfortingly cradled Thomas’ head, his fingers beginning to gently caress along the length of the side of his neck. It was a simple gesture that he knew Thomas had always enjoyed but would never admit. 

He returned to the book, hoping they would have a new topic of conversation once Thomas was back to his normal self. He opened to the first page.

_Chapter 1: A Good Café on the Place St. Michel_

It appeared he was to attend a different café than originally planned. He gave Thomas a darting glance as he smiled to himself, knowing the night would have ended the same way: with Thomas at his side. 


End file.
